Chapter 151: Taking a Step (4)

“I am…”

His mouth opened and closed repeatedly.

The trembling of ‘Bad Bond’ transmitted through the sword hilt, and the weeping of the Demon King pouring from the sky, choked his words.

Grit—

He bit his tongue.

The metallic taste of blood swirled in his mouth.

“I really do hate you all.”

Yes. He hated them.

They made him a sinner.

They treated him like the greatest piece of trash in the world and framed him as the main culprit behind all these disasters.

If they had been good, he would have felt a great deal of guilt.

But they were not good.

“If you want to blame someone, blame your own twistedness. If you want to grieve, grieve over your own darkness.”

When he created the first world.

He remembered the five creatures whose entire bodies melted at the auspiciousness of a god.

He could still vividly see the corners of their mouths lifted high between their melting flesh.

That mad affection was nothing more than burial moths rushing into a flame.

They yearned and yearned, but it meant they were a race that could not coexist with him.

Even that dark and red world began to collapse, unable to withstand his Divine Power.

He, ‘Hor’, was no different from a deadly poison there.

What choice should he have made?

Should he have annihilated everything and started over from the beginning?

But he didn’t want to do that.

Even if they were of colors and shapes he didn’t desire, he felt an attachment to them.

So, he handed over the first world he made entirely to them.

At least so they wouldn’t die because of him.

So they could stand on their own and live.

— Uuuu….

The weeping grew louder.

The trembling of the sword intensified.

At that, he furrowed his brows deeply and muttered.

“You should have just lived there. You should have lived in that place as quiet as a mouse.”

Why on earth did they come all the way here to cause such a disaster?

It was too late to feel pity for them now.

Many people died in the First Holy-Demon War.

Immediately after the Holy-Demon War ended with the victory of this side, he hoped the Demon King and his subordinates would give up.

The Demon Realm was the most suitable place for them to live.

However, they did not give up and came back like this.

Today, his comrades in Riot Castle collapsed.

Countless more would likely die in the future.

Faced with such a bloodbath, what remained for him was not pity or apology, but a sense of responsibility.

To this world, the Demon King had simply become a disaster.

Since it originated from his complacency, he had to take responsibility.

“We have never invaded your world. You are the ones who crossed the line.”

He overlaid Stars onto Bad Bond.

Then, the trembling subsided.

He pointed the tip of the blade toward the Eye of the Demon King.

— Father.

“It’s not too late even now. Go back. Stay holed up in the Demon Realm.”

— Fa-therrr.

Clack.

He pulled the sword back as far as his arm would go.

With every muscle in his body tightened, he fired Bad Bond.

Whoosh—!

The blade, shrouded in Light, pierced through the center of the eyeball and passed through.

The Demon King did not resist.

The God of Heresy, who had been tormenting Homer Castle so persistently, scattered like mist.

Cheers from his allies echoed across the battlefield.

Shouts from Alisa and the Homer commanders erupted.

Yet, he wondered why his mouth felt so bitter.

He could not bring himself to remove the Stars wrapped around Bad Bond.

***

The heresy that lost its god was nothing more than a dark-skinned Wizard.

Even if that magic was a bit ominous, the Witch of Victory was with Homer Castle.

Thud.

As she stamped her foot, thirty magic arrays rose beside her.

Each different elemental magic ruthlessly shattered the enemy’s Barrier.

Boom, kaboom—!

In the meantime, a bombardment from the allied Wizards poured in.

With this, the tide of battle had completely turned, and the casualties among the allies no longer increased.

Alisa, having regained some composure, glanced sideways.

Richard was there.

His posture with his arms crossed was calm, but the gaze behind his helmet was not. In Homer Castle, where cheers were raining down, he was the only one in a depressed mood.

“Are you all right?”

“Regarding what, exactly?”

“You don’t look to be in a very good mood.”

She asked again what she had asked before.

Then, the same answer came back.

“Who would be in a good mood when blood is rampant and people are dying?”

“I told you not to show your complicated feelings for the sake of the allies, so I don’t think that’s the reason.”

Richard shut his mouth tight.

At his attitude of refusing to answer no matter how many times she asked, she swallowed a sigh inwardly.

‘Father, he said.’

The eyeball that had been emitting a ghastly energy had clearly shared a conversation with Richard.

Even though the whole world was filled with weeping and explosions, Alisa, who was right next to Richard, had heard that conversation clearly.

However, Alisa focused on her disciple’s emotions rather than the content of the conversation.

“Richard.”

“Yes.”

“Good job. Thanks to your active participation, the damage was greatly reduced.”

Pat, pat.

Her hand stroked the steel helmet of the Magic Armor Soldier.

“You really did well.”

“What’s with the sudden praise?”

“Isn’t it said that praise is the best medicine for a dejected child? Besides, you did something worthy of praise. Now, look.”

This time, she reached out and pointed toward the battlefield.

The battlefield was in its final stages.

In front of the collapsed castle walls, numerous corpses were scattered gruesomely.

“Wow, what an energizing sight.”

“Not that. Look at the allies.”

They were laughing.

Those who had been trembling in fear just a moment ago were now rejoicing in victory as if they had never been afraid.

Alisa praised him, saying it was all thanks to Richard’s merit.

“So, you can be a little happy too. Everyone is looking at you, aren’t they?”

Only then did Richard flinch.

Every time he looked around, he met someone’s gaze.

“O Magic Swordsman! Respect to your bravery!”

“Thank you for your help!”

Richard was the first Knight to receive respect from a Wizard.

Richard also seemed somewhat pleased by it.

Flash—!

He emitted Light.

“Ohh, Hor!”

“Hor-ba!”

Cheers filled the top of the half-collapsed castle walls.

Among them was Count Aban.

***

“Hor-uuuuuu—!”

A bizarre scream echoed in Titan.

It was the voice of Huger, whose entire body was wrapped tightly in bandages.

A pauldron decorated with a giant fang was hanging from his shoulder.

“The rookie General is acting like a fool again!”

“Did he lose his mind after being beaten by the King? Chueek!”

Despite the gazes of the Orcs looking at him as if he were something grotesque, Huger repeatedly shouted Hor’s name.

It was because he felt like doing so for some reason.

“Chueek, it seems that Great Human Warrior has done something great again.”

After shouting “Hor” for a long while, he rubbed his back.

He was appealing to himself that he, too, had achieved an accomplishment that wouldn’t fall short anywhere.

“By now, that fellow Hor must have heard the news. I’ve become a General, Great Human Warrior!”

Even though he had been on the verge of death in a critical state, he was proud of himself for reviving like this and shouting for Hor.

“Kruk! General Huger! Won’t you challenge the King again today?”

“That’s tempting, but I don’t think the time is right yet. Guffaw!”

Huger waved his hand at the Orc’s words.

Every time he laughed, his joints ached.

Krokta’s martial prowess was far above Huger’s.

The dim-witted Huger had essentially engraved that fact into his bones.

“What is this? Have you become a coward now?”

“What are you talking about? Chueek!”

Huger spoke with a serious expression.

“Half a year! I will knock the King down within half a year.”

“Ohhh!”

The crude tavern became rowdy at the bold statement of the rookie General.

“So it was a half-year General position! Khahaha!”

Orcs value bravery above all else.

Because of that, the rising star of Titan was none other than Huger.

There was no other warrior who had fought the King thirteen times and lost thirteen times.

“Chueeek! I’ll buy the drinks today! For General Huger!”

A tan Orc rang the golden bell.

The atmosphere of the tavern was heating up.

Just then, an Orc stepped into the tavern.

It was an Orc with a different atmosphere from the macho Orcs who possessed rugged muscles.

“It is you.”

The Orc spoke, thumping his Spirit Staff on the ground.

With his breath being unusually heavy, the ornaments hanging all over his body swayed.

“Chueek?”

Feeling the gaze, Huger turned around.

“Who are you?”

“I am the only Shaman in Titan, Pa-teun. Kurok!”

“Ho, it’s my first time seeing a Shaman. So, what is the reason for seeking me out?”

The Shaman looked around.

The bustling tavern had suddenly become enveloped in silence.

“Let us move elsewhere.”

***

The place Pa-teun took Huger to was his own residence.

It was a place where all sorts of bizarre objects were hung everywhere, and Huger gagged because of the nauseating smell.

“Ugh… exactly what kind of story are you trying to tell that you dragged me all the way here? The golden bell was rung! Quickly, just state your business…”

“You are a Warrior of Light, are you not? *Kutuk.*”

Thud.

Huger shut his mouth.

After pondering for a moment, he nodded cheerfully.

“That’s right. You must have seen my duel with the King. Chueek!”

“Hmm….”

Pa-teun observed Huger for a long time.

His white pupils looked as if they were filled only with the whites of his eyes, giving off an eerie feeling.

Grin—

Gold teeth flashed when he smiled.

“As the darkness deepens, the light becomes brighter. And as the light becomes brighter, shadows cast heavily in other places.”

“Chueek? What are you suddenly talking about?”

“Why does the Light not know that? Darkness and Light are like two sides of an axe! Krurok!”

Huger stepped backward.

Pa-teun, who was laughing while twisting his body, was so bizarre that it made him shudder.

“What, this brave General Huger stepped backward?”

Just as the startled Huger was about to correct his posture.

Grab—!

Pa-teun’s wrinkled hands gripped Huger’s shoulders.

“Chueeek!”

“Warrior of Light!”

A nauseating stench came from Pa-teun’s mouth.

“Tell the Light you serve. Tell it that it can never shake off the darkness. And that it must not shake it off.”

Creeak.

The old Orc’s grip was surprisingly strong.

Huger looked at him, narrowing his eyes.

“You, what is your identity?”

“Light creates darkness. Isn’t that a natural principle! If there is no darkness, there is no light either!”